Santa Ana Winds Impact Southern California

High pressure currently situated over the interior western U.S. is to blame for the Santa Ana winds impacting southern California this week. This area of high pressure induces easterly winds that flow across the desert southwest and across the Santa Rosa mountains in southern California. As the air is compressed while crossing the mountain range, it becomes warmer and drier before making it all the way to the coast. Once these winds cross the mountains, they can produce dangerous wind gusts that help fuel wildfires in the region.

As a result of these Santa Ana winds, red flag warnings are in effect for much of coastal southern California until this evening.

* WINDS…AREAS OF NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40
  MPH. ISOLATED GUSTS TO 50 MPH. STRONGEST LATE MORNING THROUGH
MID- AFTERNOON HOURS.

* RELATIVE HUMIDITY…MINIMUM HUMIDITIES 4 TO 12 PERCENT.

* TEMPERATURES…WARMEST TEMPERATURES IN THE 80S TO LOWER 90S.

* IMPACTS…RAPID FIRE GROWTH AND EXTREME FIRE BEHAVIOR SHOULD
BE EXPECTED IF FIRE IGNITION OCCURS.